William snodg-rass



@auch tatrs ateut @Hirn WILLIAM SNDGRASS, COLD SPRING, WISCONSIN.Letters Patent No. 73,400, dated January 14, 1863,

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

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TO'ALL wHoM IT MAY co'NcEnN;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SNODGRASS, of Cold Spring, in the county ot'Jeli'erson, and State of Wiscousin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Water-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that thefollowingisja full, clear, and exact description of the same'.

The object ofmy invention is to so construct a water-wheel that I mayobtain the full, or nearly the full, percentage of power which is dnefrom water under a given head; and the invention consists in providingfor a free escape of air from the buckets or oats, and in bringing thefull pressure ofnthc water to 'act upon a.

given point of the wheel ina manner similar to the action of water onthe piston of a watcrengine, that is,

with very little leakage or loss; and to enable others skilled in theart to make and use my invention, I will -now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,

forming a part of this Specification, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

Figure 1 represents a sectional side view of the wheel through the linea' e: of lig. 2.

Figure 2V represents a top view. j

Figure 3 represents a sectional side view through the line yy of iig. 2.

Figure 4 is anedge view of the float, show ing the valves. i

Figure 5 is a top view of the float, showing the same.

Similarletters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents tbewheel, B the scroll or'segment, against which the oatsmake a water-tight joint. C represents the head ot' Water, D represents'the float, E represents the gate, and B' represents the bul'kdiead.

The body ot' the water-wheel A is made similar to that of a commonovers'hot-wheel, the principal difference being in the construction otthe ioats or buckets, and this difference embraces the principalfeziture ot' my invention when combined with thescroll B. This float ismade in two p'ieces hinged together, as seen at gl. The outer portion ais secured to the rim of the water-wheel in the usual' manner, but ithas a flexible strip, c, upon its louter edge, which projects from itfor the purpose of forming a more perfect joint on the scroll B. Theinnerportion ofthe float a', being hinged to a, forms a valve, and itsopening and closing are governed by the motionv of the wheel, and by thepressure of water upon it.

When the loat leaves the tail-water, as at b, the valve a opens and letsthe air enter behind it, and when the float reaches the surface of thehead-waterpthe valve opens and allows the water to pass to the top, orto near the top, of thewheel. An entirely rigid float at this pointwould obstruct the motion of the wheel, und interfere with my designs.

The scroll B is a segment of a circle, whose inside diameter is aboutthe saine as that described by the rim of the whcel.- It may be of anydesired length, and is placed and fastened below the wheel, and belowthe level of the tail-water. The ilegible strip c strikes this scrollwhen the whccl is revolving, and forms a'watertight joint between theoat and the scroll. The rim oi' thewheel is kept water-tight against thescroll B, and the bulk-head B', or chamber in which the water islconfined by segments, whose circle shall be about the same as that ofthe rim ofv the wheel, with flat pieces of a little larger diameterattached, and which pieces shall be pressed outward by a spring, thespring being acted upon by a screw. This arrangement is shown in tig 3.f represent the segments; g, the fiat pieces confined to the segments,but which are allowed to move upon it. h is the spring, and z the screw.l

For the purpose of adapting my wheel to light service, I have shown apartition, P, and in reference to it, I have only to observe that theconstruction is the same, it only being, in fact, another wheel in allits essential parts.' E represent boards or pieces of plank, which dropinto grooves, and which allow the water to be discharged at any pointfrom the bulk-head. J represents a weight upon the valve a oi' thefloat, to assist it in closing under water. l

Havingv thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire tcsecure by Letters Patent- The float D, with its valves a and c, thcscroll B, and the segment f, with the sliding piece y, the spring i, andscrew 2', when arranged and combined substantially as described and forthe purposes set forth.

WILLIAM sNoDGRAsS.

Witnesses:

JOHN McBnarn, PRosPER ORAvArn.

